Bagbin re-elected CoSPAL chair

 The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Suma­na Kingsford Bagbin, has been re-elected as Chair of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of Afri­can Legislatures (CoSPAL) for a second term.

The election of Mr Bagbin was held during the 2nd General Assembly of CoSPAL in Accra on Sunday.

Other officers elected at the general assembly were Anita Annet-Among, Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament as Vice Chair and Ibidapo Olufemi Oyewole of the Ni­gerian senate.

Four oth­er re­gional vice chairs were also elected to steer the affairs of the conference in their respective areas.

The Assembly brought togeth­er over 120 participants includ­ing 15 speakers and presidents of African legislatures, 15 deputy speakers and presidents, clerks and parliamentary staff across the continent.

Discussions at the high-pow­ered Assembly focused on finding solutions to Africa’s challenges, including poverty, po­litical instability, unemployment, climate change.

The CoSPAL is the platform that seeks to mobilise and unite Speakers and presidents of leg­islatures across the continent to support the agenda for Africa’s growth and sustainable develop­ment.

Addressing the participants at the opening of the Assembly, Mr Bagbin entreated African legisla­tures to take an active role in the continent’s development.

“As representatives of the people, our parliaments can­not sit aloof or operate on the fringes of the efforts to combat the challenges that confront us. We must be at the centre of those efforts if we are to meet the needs and aspirations of the people we represent,” the Speaker said.

CoSPAL, he noted, therefore provides a unique opportunity for legislatures to lay a strong foundation in the creation of a united and common platform to deliberate on Africa’s develop­mental challenges and advocate for coordinated solutions.

“As Africans, we share a common destiny and face the common enemies of ignorance, poverty, and deprivation. Let us remember that no single country can address these challenges alone,” he rallied his colleagues.

In his remarks at the end of the Assembly, Madam An­net-Among said addressing the continent’s challenges required united efforts and solutions.

In her view, “our focus must shift towards unlocking the potential of our resources and empowering people rather than remaining dependent on external assistance

 BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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